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Ric Ocasek dies: Tributes pour in for The Cars lead singer following death

Ric Ocasek dies: Tributes pour in for lead singer of The Cars
Ric Ocasek died on Sunday afternoon. Pic credit: @ImageCollect/S-bukley

One of the pioneers of punk-pop in the ’80s has died, as Ric Ocasek of The Cars passed away on Sunday afternoon.

There is no word on the cause of death and various reports make his age unknown as well, as he was either 70 or 75.

Who is Ric Ocasek?

Fans of ’80s rock know Ric Ocasek well. He was the frontman of the band The Cars. The good news is that before he died, Ocasek saw his band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

The Cars started performing in 1978 and worked together until 1987. They had several hit songs through the years including “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Good Times Roll,” “Shake It Up,” and “Drive.”

They had four top 10 songs on the mainstream Billboard charts, including “Shake It Up,” “You Might Think,” “Drive” and “Tonight She Comes.”

The band’s self-titled debut album was certified six-times platinum and five of their seven albums were top 10 hits with the other two charting no lower than 26th.

Candy-O was four-times platinum, Shake it Up was double platinum, Heartbeat City was four-times platinum, and Panorama hit platinum status. They reunited in 2011 for their final album, Move Like This.

Through their time together, The Cars sold over 23 million albums, with their debut album selling over six million units alone.

Ric Ocasek also released seven solo albums, the last coming out in 2005. His top solo hit came in 1986 with “Emotion in Motion,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard US Rock Chart.

Ric Ocasek tributes

Following the announcement of his death, several contemporaries and musicians and celebrities who were influenced by Ric Ocasek sent their well-wishes.

These tributes included one from Weezer. This was a big one, as Weezer bassist Scott Shriner played bass for The Cars at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Ric Ocasek had six sons, two from each of his three marriages.

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